--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The truth slid over her skin, that if she…" description: "\"“The truth slid over her skin, that if she loved him, sometimes it would mean doing nothing. It would mean being still. It would mean saying nothing, b..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac6/anna-marie-mclemore-29852_heart_the-truth-slid-over-her-skin-that-if-she_2862057.jpg" --- # The truth slid over her skin, that if she loved him… ![“The truth slid over her skin, that if she loved him, sometimes it would mean doing nothing. It would mean being still. It would mean saying nothing, but standing close enough so he would know she was there, that she was staying.” quote by Anna-Marie McLemore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac6/anna-marie-mclemore-29852_heart_the-truth-slid-over-her-skin-that-if-she_2862057.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac6/anna-marie-mclemore-29852_heart_the-truth-slid-over-her-skin-that-if-she_2862057.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac6/anna-marie-mclemore-29852_heart_the-truth-slid-over-her-skin-that-if-she_2862057.jpg) > ““The truth slid over her skin, that if she loved him, sometimes it would mean doing nothing. It would mean being still. It would mean saying nothing, but standing close enough so he would know she was there, that she was staying.”” [Anna-Marie McLemore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-marie-mclemore/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Love can be expressed through quiet presence and stillness rather than grand gestures. **In simple terms:** Love shown by simply being there. Key Takeaway Value silent support in relationships. Themes love silence presence Mood tender reflective Type romantic philosophical When to use this quote - long‑term partnership - grieving process - friendship support Key Concepts nonverbal communication emotional intimacy patience Questions to Reflect On - How do you convey love without words? - When is silence more powerful than speech? A Different Perspective Silence may be misinterpreted as indifference. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Know Staying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-staying-3757158/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Loved Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loved-mean-614827/) [Mean Saying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean-saying-1889363/) [Relationships](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relationships/) [Saying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saying/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [Truth Slid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth-slid-3867112/) ## Related quotes > [Everything must belong somewhere. I know that now, that's why I'm staying here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-oberst/everything-must-belong-somewhere-i-know-that-now-that-s-why-i-m/) [Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/) > [Try to pull me into the rest of the world, but you might as well give up...we both know that I'm staying in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naquitta-faith/try-to-pull-me-into-the-rest-of-the-world-but-you-might-as-well-give/) [Naquitta Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naquitta-faith/) > [“She knew if she loved anything, it would mean destruction not only for her but for that thing also. And she didn’t want any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saravana-kumar-murugan/she-knew-if-she-loved-anything-it-would-mean-destruction-not-only-for/) [Saravana Kumar Murugan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saravana-kumar-murugan/) > [“You know what's lame, Pudge? I really care about her. I mean, we were hopeless. Badly matched. But still. I mean, I said I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/you-know-what-s-lame-pudge-i-really-care-about-her-i-mean-we-were/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [I've never really loved mean comedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-levy/i-ve-never-really-loved-mean-comedy/) [Dan Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-levy/) > [“To whom can I put this question (with any hope of an answer)? Does being able to live without someone you loved mean you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roland-barthes/to-whom-can-i-put-this-question-with-any-hope-of-an-answer-does-being/) [Roland Barthes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roland-barthes/) > [Sometimes freedom mean saying NO.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jewel/sometimes-freedom-mean-saying-no/) [Jewel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jewel/) > [Keep the golden mean between saying too much and too little.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/keep-the-golden-mean-between-saying-too-much-and-too-little/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Wishing for something doesn’t mean you should have it, and saying something doesn’t necessarily make it true.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-altenburg/wishing-for-something-doesn-t-mean-you-should-have-it-and-saying/) [Paula Altenburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-altenburg/) > [“If I were truly being heroic, I'd actually mean what I'm saying right now. But I don't. I want you to stay with me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-lippert-martin/if-i-were-truly-being-heroic-i-d-actually-mean-what-i-m-saying-right/) [Kristen Lippert-Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-lippert-martin/) > [“Lots of things are true. Doesn't mean you have to go around saying them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-donnelly/lots-of-things-are-true-doesn-t-mean-you-have-to-go-around-saying-them/) [Jennifer Donnelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-donnelly/) > [I don’t really mean what I’m saying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster/i-don-t-really-mean-what-i-m-saying/) [David Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster/) > [“Irony tyrannizes us. All US irony is based on an implicit 'I don't really mean what I'm saying.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/irony-tyrannizes-us-all-us-irony-is-based-on-an-implicit-i-don-t/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [And make no mistake: irony tyrannizes us. The reason why our pervasive cultural irony is at once so powerful and so unsatisfying is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/and-make-no-mistake-irony-tyrannizes-us-the-reason-why-our-pervasive/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [“I have thought and thought since you were gone, and there is something I wish to say.' Cardan's face is serious, almost grave, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-black/i-have-thought-and-thought-since-you-were-gone-and-there-is-something/) [Holly Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-black/) ## More by Anna-Marie McLemore > [“The difference between baptism and drowning is a few faithless breaths.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-marie-mclemore/the-difference-between-baptism-and-drowning-is-a-few-faithless-breaths/) [Anna-Marie McLemore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-marie-mclemore/) > [“We made it our home,” Estrella said. “So now we live here.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-marie-mclemore/we-made-it-our-home-estrella-said-so-now-we-live-here/) [Anna-Marie McLemore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-marie-mclemore/) > [“As though their daughters loving men and women meant they wanted all of them in the world. There was no way to tell their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-marie-mclemore/as-though-their-daughters-loving-men-and-women-meant-they-wanted-all/) [Anna-Marie McLemore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-marie-mclemore/) > [“This is was what their mothers would say if she and her cousins ever told them the things they folded inside their hearts. Twice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-marie-mclemore/this-is-was-what-their-mothers-would-say-if-she-and-her-cousins-ever/) [Anna-Marie McLemore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-marie-mclemore/) > [“Twice as many paths to trouble,' their mothers would whisper. As though their daughters loving men and women meant they wanted all of them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-marie-mclemore/twice-as-many-paths-to-trouble-their-mothers-would-whisper-as-though/) [Anna-Marie McLemore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-marie-mclemore/) > [“Her feeling that the moon had slipped from her grasp seemed locked in a place so far inside her that to reach it would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-marie-mclemore/her-feeling-that-the-moon-had-slipped-from-her-grasp-seemed-locked-in/) [Anna-Marie McLemore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-marie-mclemore/) > [“No,' she whispered over those fields. 'No, you can't have this part of me.' If they tried to take Sam, she'd do anything she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-marie-mclemore/no-she-whispered-over-those-fields-no-you-can-t-have-this-part-of-me/) [Anna-Marie McLemore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-marie-mclemore/) > [“It shouldn't have mattered, not when Miel and the other girls in his class wore jeans more than they wore skirts. Not when they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-marie-mclemore/it-shouldn-t-have-mattered-not-when-miel-and-the-other-girls-in-his/) [Anna-Marie McLemore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-marie-mclemore/) > [“Her mother did not guess that water could be more dangerous when there was less of it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-marie-mclemore/her-mother-did-not-guess-that-water-could-be-more-dangerous-when/) [Anna-Marie McLemore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-marie-mclemore/) > [“The fact that Aracely might understand what he could not say, it seeded in him a want, new and raw, like not knowing he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-marie-mclemore/the-fact-that-aracely-might-understand-what-he-could-not-say-it/) [Anna-Marie McLemore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-marie-mclemore/) > [“They’d spent enough time together that their bodies had pulled on each other, and they now bled at the same time, when the moon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-marie-mclemore/they-d-spent-enough-time-together-that-their-bodies-had-pulled-on/) [Anna-Marie McLemore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-marie-mclemore/) > [“Even in its first faint traces, love could alter a landscape. It wrote unimagined stories and made the most beautiful, forbidding places.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-marie-mclemore/even-in-its-first-faint-traces-love-could-alter-a-landscape-it-wrote/) [Anna-Marie McLemore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-marie-mclemore/) > [“He’s not stupid,” she said. “He just speak a language none of you bothered to learn.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-marie-mclemore/he-s-not-stupid-she-said-he-just-speak-a-language-none-of-you/) [Anna-Marie McLemore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-marie-mclemore/) > [“Look," Aracely said. "I know what you're going through." "No you don't." Sam sat up. "I still have to live like this. Nothing is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-marie-mclemore/look-aracely-said-i-know-what-you-re-going-through-no-you-don-t-sam/) [Anna-Marie McLemore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-marie-mclemore/) > [“Of course he would think the whole glittering universe existed to spin anything he wanted out of stardust. He was a man, and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-marie-mclemore/of-course-he-would-think-the-whole-glittering-universe-existed-to/) [Anna-Marie McLemore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-marie-mclemore/) [Explore all 18 Anna-Marie McLemore quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-marie-mclemore/) ## More Heart quotes > [Against his own will, almost, Will felt himself understanding; he would have done anything, he thought, told any lie, taken any risk, to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/against-his-own-will-almost-will-felt-himself-understanding-he-would/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“He held her like a new woman and what she felt felt almost as good as love had, and each of them called it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-dunn/he-held-her-like-a-new-woman-and-what-she-felt-felt-almost-as-good-as/) [Stephen Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-dunn/) > [While we've youth in our hearts, we can never grow old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/while-we-ve-youth-in-our-hearts-we-can-never-grow-old/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [My heart jumps out of its cage to see what the fuss is about. Damn thing. Always so hopeful, but my voice hides it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-wylie/my-heart-jumps-out-of-its-cage-to-see-what-the-fuss-is-about-damn/) [Sarah Wylie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-wylie/) > [I love because there is not enough room in my heart to hate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rena-kornreich-gelissen/i-love-because-there-is-not-enough-room-in-my-heart-to-hate/) [Rena Kornreich Gelissen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rena-kornreich-gelissen/) > [“He didn't break my heart. No one can break your heart except you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/he-didn-t-break-my-heart-no-one-can-break-your-heart-except-you/) [Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/) > [The United States cannot and should not discriminate on the basis of religion. The free exercise of religion is at the very heart of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/the-united-states-cannot-and-should-not-discriminate-on-the-basis-of/) [Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/) > [Love is like that, fragile and light. No wonder it rests upon our hearts in intangible moments, bids us follow fleeting thoughts and ideas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-is-like-that-fragile-and-light-no-wonder-it-rests-upon-our/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When we are capable of living in the moment free from the tyranny of "shoulds," free from the nagging sensation that this moment isn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-z-borysenko/when-we-are-capable-of-living-in-the-moment-free-from-the-tyranny-of/) [Joan Z. Borysenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-z-borysenko/) > [My father longed for a better life for us, and when I was nine he got a job as a heart surgeon in Belfast.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-melua/my-father-longed-for-a-better-life-for-us-and-when-i-was-nine-he-got/) [Katie Melua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-melua/) > [O tiger's heart wrapped in a woman's hide!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/o-tiger-s-heart-wrapped-in-a-woman-s-hide/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Love will fan the flame, and that flame will warm the heart that's waiting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-w-smith/love-will-fan-the-flame-and-that-flame-will-warm-the-heart-that-s/) [Michael W. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-w-smith/) > [Always have the fear of God in your heart, and remember that God is always with you, everywhere, whether you are walking or sitting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennadius-of-constantinople/always-have-the-fear-of-god-in-your-heart-and-remember-that-god-is/) [Gennadius of Constantinople](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennadius-of-constantinople/) > [Set NOT your hearts on the flowers of this world. They shall fade and die. Prize the Rose of Sharon and the Lily of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/set-not-your-hearts-on-the-flowers-of-this-world-they-shall-fade-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“She couldn't break the orbit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-schwab/she-couldn-t-break-the-orbit/) [Victoria Schwab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-schwab/) [Browse all 45,172 Heart quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The truth slid over her skin, that if she loved him, sometimes it would mean doing nothing. It would mean being still. It would mean saying nothing, but standing close enough so he would know she was there, that she was staying.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Anna-Marie McLemore" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-marie-mclemore/the-truth-slid-over-her-skin-that-if-she-loved-him-sometimes-it-would/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Heart" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-marie-mclemore/the-truth-slid-over-her-skin-that-if-she-loved-him-sometimes-it-would/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac6/anna-marie-mclemore-29852_heart_the-truth-slid-over-her-skin-that-if-she_2862057.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac6/anna-marie-mclemore-29852_heart_the-truth-slid-over-her-skin-that-if-she_2862057.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac6/anna-marie-mclemore-29852_heart_the-truth-slid-over-her-skin-that-if-she_2862057.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The truth slid over her skin, that if she loved him, sometimes it would mean doing nothing. It would mean…” — Anna-Marie McLemore", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Anna-Marie McLemore", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-marie-mclemore/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The truth slid over her skin,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-marie-mclemore/the-truth-slid-over-her-skin-that-if-she-loved-him-sometimes-it-would/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-marie-mclemore/the-truth-slid-over-her-skin-that-if-she-loved-him-sometimes-it-would/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```